Gabriel abraham



Jan. 29 1924.

6. ABRAHAM AUTOMATIC GRIP RELIEF 'BUCKLE Filed July 18. 1923 'mmli l Patented Jan. 29, 1924.

rate

shearer. ABRAHAM, or New Yo'nk, N'. Y.

AUroMAric: GRIP-RELIEF BUCKLE.

A praise; fiiliiui 1a, 1923. Serial' no. 652,230.

the strapin 'responseto tension or thrust re spectively.

A further object of the invention is to combine, in a single structure, a spring relief link with anautomatic'ally gripping and releasing cam or gripper. I have designed my presentbuckle so that, if the prospective wearer merely inserts the end of the belt to be gripped, the buckle will do the rest, that is grip the belt strap with an automatlc action of the cam. The reverse automatic action is likewise present. A mere slackening of the belt, causing the pushing together of its ends, opens the gripper to release thev free end of thebeltfmerely by pulling it out.

At the same time and in the same structure, the feature Of the relief link is provided- This and further objects of my invention will better be understood by reference, to the illustrative embodiment of my invention described in the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which drawings like characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures. It is' to this illustrative embodiment of my invention that the claims are directed, but merely for purposes of illustration and not limitation. a

Fig. l'is a horizontal section through an embodimentof my invention, showing the gripper in gripping position;

*ig. 2 is a similar view, I operating link shown in plan and the grlpper 0 en' Fig. 3 is a rear elevation,witl1 parts broken away, of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2- and v i Fig. 4 is a cross section through the of IV-IV of'Figl.

plane but with the In thisembodiment, a main casing A is provided preferably diestamped from sheet metal, and havingthe outer wall 1, which maybe ornamented as desired, the righthand portionof which, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, functions as a reaction wall against the opposing action of the gripper or rocker cam B, the camUface 2 of which is serrated, the better to grip the end side ofthe belt strap G. Asa part of this casing A, are provided-parallel side flanges 3 and; 4, carrying inturned lips 5 and. 6, .which parallel the outer wall 1, and provide an open-ended passageway 7, through the casing. The gripper B is preferably formed asacamjand may conveniently be fabricated as a stamping of sheet metal. Pivoting ears 9 and 10 lie between the two main portions of the grippers, the cam portion 2 and the operating lever portion 11. A pivot pin 12 may be riveted into the side flanges 3 and 4 near theentrance spaced rearwardly of the front wall 1, the axis of the pivoted pin being parallel to the front wall 1. Itis preferred that the cam portion 2 be a cylindrical surface preferably provided with rippingserrations, the better to engage t e strap C, and its contour in cross-section is of importance and, as

shown particularly in'Figs. 1 and 2, this cam surface 2,; neargthe axis 12,{is almost tangential. It extends out a considerable distance away from the entrance end of the passage through the casing and its contour approaches a radial direction relatively to the axis 12. Furthermore, its extent is such that i; can never swing out of the entrance end 0 pins 13 and 14 to form a pivotal connection with the perforated ears 19 and 20 by an operating link presently to be described. The

va push'upon the lever 11 will easily release it. The lever ll is' automatically operend of the passage through the casing and.

the said passageway. The operating lever part 11 is preferably of notso great width as the oani'and is provided with link ated by the tension means D, which, at one end is provided with the strap eye 15, secured to the plate 16 by suitable bails 17. The opposite end of the tension means D terminates in a link 18 having perforated cars 19 and 20, in which the pins 13 and 14 pivot. This link 18 is shown formed as an extension of the slide plate 21, which cooperates with the slide plate 22 against the resiliency of the compression spring 23 to form a relief link in substantial accordance with the structure described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 444,088, filed Feb. 11, 1921. The bails 17 may limit expansion movement of the spring 23 as in my aforementioned 00- ending application, or, if desired, inturne portions 25 and 26 may be formed at the ends of the lips 27 and 28 to serve as stops.

I also prefer that guide-fingers 29 and 30 be strutted out from the material of the wall 22, which, by riding along the inner face of the wall 1 of the casing A serve to keep the tension means D back against the lips 5 and 6, the better to provide a passageway 31 between the tension means D and the wall 1 for the ready insertion of the strap C. It is to be noted that it is an essential of the construction that all of the parts of the link D be free from lengthwise movement in the passageway of the casing and that they are in no way connected with the flanges 3 and 4. Thus, a pull on the link D operates the gripper to grip, while a push on the link D operates the gripper to release. This push or pull upon the link D can be exerted upon its exposed end 16 and to operate the gripper B for a release. It is not first necessary to overcome the force of the compression spring 23. The normal action of this spring, when no tension is upon the belt, is resisted by the construction of the link itself. There is no connection for the functioning of this spring with the casing A or any of its parts. Where the contrary is true, special manipulation would be required to release the gripper, and it is an objective of the invention that the link D, whether it be a spring relief link or not, operate freely relatively to the casing A as both a pusher and a puller to cause the operation of the gripper in both functions, gripping and releasing.

Operation.

A strap C is inserted in the passageway 31, the other end suitably secured to the eye 15. The tightening of the strap causes tension on the tension means D. This, through the link 18, operates the lever 11 to force the cam face 2 of cam B into gripping engagement with the rear face of strap C. Relief of the tension on the strap together with an inward thrust on the plate 22, rocks the cam into the open position of Fig. 2, so that the strap C may be withdrawn.

The inventive thought may have a variety of expressions as is contemplated in what I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent as follows:

1.- An automatic gripping buckle comprising a casing, providing a strap passageway having a reacting Wall; a rocking gripping cam pivoted to said casing automatically to grip the strap and force it against said re-acting wall; an operating lever secured to said cam and a tension link free from connection with said casing and working freely in said passageway; pivoted at one end to said operating lever and being provided at the other end with a strap eye, a pull on said link clamping said cam towards said reacting wall and a push on said link tending to release said cam. V

2. A buckle as described in claim 1 and further characterized by the fact that said tension means is in the form of a spring relief link enclosed within said casing.

3. A buckle comprising a casing, having an outer wall; opposite edge flanges; inwardly directed lips formed on the edge of said flanges and paralleling said outer wall to form a guideway; a rocking cam cooperating with said outer wall and pivoted to said flanges; a tension link constrained to move within said guideway by said lips, and having a pivoted connection with said rocking cam automatically to cause it to engage a strap riven through said casing when tension is applied.

4. A relief buckle comprisin two relatively sliding mutually guide plates; a compression spring opposin the extension movement of said plates; a front plate having side flanges with inturned lips forming a casing inclosing said plates, one of said plates providing an eye for the attachment of the strap, the other of said plates providing an operating link, the entire assemblage of said plates and compression spring being free from connection with said casing and freely movable in the passageway formed by the flanges and lips of said casing; and a rocking cam pivoted to said casing in operative connection with said link.

5. In an easy, quick release buckle, a front plate having side flanges with inturned lips, forming a casing providing an open-ended passageway from end to end; a link free from connection with said casing lying within and freely movable lengthwise of said channel and functioning as a usher to release the buckle and as a pu ler to tighten the grip of the buckle, and having a projecting exposed end for manual engagement and for attachment with a strap; a gripper reacting against the inner face of said front plate and pivoted relatively thereto on a rearwardly spaced transverse axis parallel with said front plate near the front or entrance end of said casing, said gripper comprising a gripping lip working towards and away from said inner face of said front plate, and a lever part extending rearwardly and away from the entrance side of said axis; said link having a pivotalconnection at its front end with the outer end of said lever. p

6. The structure as described in claim 5 and further characterized by the fact that the gripping lip of said cam is formed so long as to prevent its complete rotation by engaging against the inner face of said front plate and further by the fact that said lip varies from an almost tangential direction to an almost radial directlon relatively to the axis of the gripper so that great tension upon the belt cannot effect an undue gripping force of the gripper upon the belt and the gripper is always maintained free from a quick release.

7. An easy, quick release buckle, comprising a combined gripper and operating lever in the form of a sheet metal stamping substantially U-shaped in cross-section; pivotin means, the pivotal axis of which is paralle to the elements of the gripping surface and substantially symmetrically positioned within and near the closed portion of its U- shaped contour; in combination with a reacting wall positioned away from and relatively to said axis so that increased operating tension upon said lever arm cannot ef-.

feet a commensurate increase of gripping pressure towards said wall.

In witness whereof, I have signed m name to this specification this 29th day of June, 1923.

GABRIEL ABRAHAM. 

